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ICv2 is inaugurating a new feature--a monthly list of the "Top 20 Graphic Novels" sold by U.S. book retailers, provided by Nielsen BookScan. The inaugural list tracks sales in March. Nielsen's BookScan service tracks actual sales from major book chains, mass merchants, online retailers, and some independent bookstores using POS data.

Manga dominates the March bestseller list with 18 out of the top 20 titles. Viz Media had 15 of the top 20 including the #1 book, Naruto Vol. 28, the first volume in the Shippuden (literally "Hurricane Chronicles) cycle, which begins two and a half years after the end of Vol. 27.Volume 28 in this popular series had, according to retailers interviewed by ICv2, one of the biggest debut weeks of any manga in years and quickly became their number one manga seller of 2008 so far.But the dominance of the Cartoon Network-aided Naruto property can be more accurately gauged by the fact that there are five other Naruto-related volumes in the top twenty.

Top 20 Graphic Novels 3/3 - 3/30/3008

Rank

Title

Author

Pub

Pub Date

1

NARUTO VOL. 28

KISHIMOTO MASASHI

VIZ

3/1/2008

2

FRUITS BASKET VOL. 19

TAKAYA NATSUKI

TKP

3/1/2008

3

NEGIMA VOL. 17

AKAMATSU KEN

DEL

3/1/2008

4

FULLMETAL ALCHEMIST VOL. 16

ARAKAWA HIROMU

VIZ

3/1/2008

5

DEATH NOTE HOW TO READ VOL. 13

OHBA TSUGUMI

VIZ

2/1/2008

6

THE GENTLEMEN'S ALLIANCE + VOL. 5

TANEMURA ARINA

VIZ

3/1/2008

7

NARUTO VOL. 27 W/ STICKER

KISHIMOTO MASASHI

VIZ

12/1/2007

8

NARUTO VOL. 26

KISHIMOTO MASASHI

VIZ

12/1/2007

9

NARUTO: THE OFFICIAL FANBOOK

KISHIMOTO MASASHI

VIZ

2/1/2008

10

BLEACH VOL. 22

KUBO TITE

VIZ

2/1/2008

11

WATCHMEN TPB

MOORE ALAN

DC

4/1/1995

12

XXXHOLIC VOL. 11

CLAMP

DEL

3/1/2008

13

DEATH NOTE VOL. 1

OHBA TSUGUMI

VIZ

10/1/2005

14

ONE PIECE VOL. 17

ODA EIICHIRO

VIZ

3/1/2008

15

ANITA BLAKE, VAMPIRE HUNTER: THE FIRST DEATH HC

HAMILTON LAURELL K.

MAR

2/1/2008

16

NARUTO VOL. 1

KISHIMOTO MASASHI

VIZ

7/1/2003

17

THE BEST OF POKEMON ADVENTURES: RED

KUSAKA HIDENORI

VIZ

10/1/2006

18

BLACK CAT VOL. 13

YABUKI KENTARO

VIZ

3/1/2008

19

NARUTO VOL. 25

KISHIMOTO MASASHI

VIZ

12/1/2007

20

DEATH NOTE VOL. 2

OHBA TSUGUMI

VIZ

11/1/2005

Tokyopop's Fruits Basket, the most popular shojo manga in North America over the past four years, remains the second most potent manga property in the U.S., though it is being pushed by Viz Media's Death Note. Death Note, which placed three volumes in the top twenty,is a shonen series that benefits greatly from the airing of its anime adaptation on the Cartoon Network.

Del Rey Manga placed two volumes on the list, Ken Akamatsu's sexy Negima at #3, and Clamp's xxxHOLIC at #12.

Aside from Fruits Basket, Viz Media's The Gentlemen's Alliance by Arina Tanemura was the only other shojo manga on the March list.The other Viz Media titles on the list are shonen series with anime tie-ins, Bleach and Black Cat; and the kodomo (kids) manga, Pokemon -- further evidence that this property is undergoing a revival, especially in the mass market.

DC Comics and Marvel each placed one title on the March list.Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons' Watchmen is a perennial favorite, but the production of a Watchmen movie, which is due out next March, has raised interest in this property to a new level (#11 in March) and should push sales even higher through the rest of the year and beyond.Marvel has had solid success in adapting popular fiction into graphic novels with Stephen King's Dark Tower and Laurell K. Hamilton's Anita Blake, Vampire Hunter, the only hardcover on the list, which gave Marvel the 15th spot.